Judge orders Infowars assets sold to pay Sandy Hook families


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Summary

Infowars sale

A Texas judge has ordered that Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, be placed in the control of a court-appointed receiver, who is authorized to seize its assets and arrange their sale.

Defamation judgment

A civil jury found Alex Jones guilty of defamation in 2022 for his false statements claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. According to NPR, these claims led to harassment of the victims' families by Jones' followers.

Victims' families' response

According to Mark Bankston, one of the families' attorneys, the families are satisfied with the placement of Infowars' parent company into receivership, expressing hope that it will bring accountability for what Bankston described as 'monstrously cruel harassment' by Jones.


Full story

A Texas judge has cleared the way for the sale of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ platform, Infowars. The goal of the sale is to pay the more than one billion dollars Jones owes the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims.

On Wednesday, the judge ordered that Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, be handed over to a court-appointed receiver. That receiver can seize everything from cash and equipment to the Infowars name itself and sell it off to satisfy Jones’ debts.

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Jones found guilty of defamation

A civil jury found Jones guilty of defamation in 2022. He had falsely claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, which left 20 children and six educators dead in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. According to NPR, Jones’ fans harassed the Sandy Hook victims’ families following his claims.

Since the verdict, Jones has not paid one cent of the damages. Now, the families hope to see some accountability.

“The families are pleased that the court has placed InfoWars parent company into receivership, which will finally lead to accountability for Alex Jones’ monstrously cruel harassment” said Mark Bankston, one of the attorneys for the families.

The Onion’s bid for Infowars

The move reopens the door for satirical outlet The Onion to revive its bid for the conspiracy-driven platform. It previously won Infowars at a court-mandated auction. However, a federal judge later halted the sale, citing concerns about the bids and the auction process.

The judge said victims’ families should pursue their winnings at a state-level court rather than the federal.

The Onion has not commented on the recent developments, but previously stated it would continue to pursue purchasing Infowars.

Jones responds to Infowars sale

Following the judge’s ruling, Jones appeared on the Infowars platform and stated that he was “pissed off” but had “resigned” to Infowars’ sale. He promised to continue broadcasting under a different brand.

Jason K. Morrell (Morning Managing Editor), Devan Markham (Morning Digital Producer), and Jake Larsen (Video Editor) contributed to this report.
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Why this story matters

A Texas judge's order enabling the sale of Infowars to pay over one billion dollars in defamation damages underscores the legal and financial consequences of spreading false claims about mass tragedy events.

Legal accountability

The court decision demonstrates how the legal system seeks to hold individuals and companies accountable for defamation and the financial harm caused to victims' families.

Disinformation and its impact

The case centers on the spread of false information about the Sandy Hook shooting and highlights the real-world harm and harassment experienced by victims' families as a result.

Media ownership and consequences

The potential sale of Infowars raises questions about who may control controversial media platforms and underscores the importance of responsible ownership in the information ecosystem.

SAN provides
Unbiased. Straight Facts.

Don’t just take our word for it.


Certified balanced reporting

According to media bias experts at AllSides

AllSides Certified Balanced May 2025

Transparent and credible

Awarded a perfect reliability rating from NewsGuard

100/100

Welcome back to trustworthy journalism.

Find out more

Sources

  1. CNN
  2. NPR

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Sources

  1. CNN
  2. NPR

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